Farnham Town are delighted to announce the signing of veteran midfielder Sam Hutchinson following his departure from League One side AFC Wimbledon, who joins the Town on a two-year contract.
The 36-year-old has tallied almost 300 senior appearances at the pro level after breaking through the Chelsea academy and picking up 2009/10 Premier League and 2011/12 FA Cup winners medals.
Having overcome some injury problems early in his career, Sam found a settled home at Hillsborough with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, impressing on an initial loan spell in the spring of 2014 before completing a permanent move from Chelsea on a free transfer that summer.
Over the next eight seasons, Sam would establish himself as a key player for the Owls, tallying over 200 appearances in the Championship and League One, narrowly missing out on an immediate return to the second tier via the play-offs in the 2021/22 season.
Sam would leave Wednesday in the summer of 2022, returning to the Championship with Reading, where he would make 26 appearances over the next two seasons.
In December 2024, Sam signed for AFC Wimbledon in League Two and would immediately become a key dressing room leader at the Club, appearing 18 times in the league over the remainder of the season, helping them to promotion back to League One via the play-offs. In total, he played 23 times for AFC Wimbledon before leaving the Club last month.
“It’s great to welcome a player of Sam’s experience and calibre to our squad,” manager Paul Johnson said.
“As someone with over 300 appearances in the pro game, he’s seen and experienced everything there is to see in football, and will be able to use those experiences to help the rest of the group through what will be an exciting but challenging season at this level.
“He’s trained with the group recently and been with us at some recent friendlies, so he’s already begun to establish those relationships with his teammates and people around the Club.
“As an experienced leader, Sam will raise the standards of the group and be an important voice in the dressing room. I look forward to working with him this season.”
Chairman Harry Hugo adds: “Sam is probably the highest-profile signing in the Club’s history. That’s an incredibly exciting thing to think about.
“Having spent the best part of the last two decades around the pro game in the Premier League and Football League, it’s clear that from speaking to Sam he wanted a fresh challenge in football at this stage of his career, and we’re delighted that he’s chosen to take that next step with us.
“He had offers to stay in the Football League, including some from his former clubs, but he’s chosen Farnham Town which says a lot about where we’re at as a club now.
“Able to play in midfield or in defence, Sam offers us valuable options, experience and leadership in a playing group that’s going to need that this season as we tackle the National League South for the first time ever.
“We’re all looking forward to working with Sam over the next two years as a key part of this next chapter of our story.”